Hot 'n' Healthy - 'Double Whammy' Inner Thigh Series

-Savannah Morning News

-Savannah Morning News

-Savannah Morning News

We all have parts of our body that we would like to improve, and the inner thigh is an area of interest for many people. While spot reduction isn’t a realistic option, proper diet combined with cardiovascular exercise and a well rounded strength training program will get the results you want.

There is no quick fix. Discipline and hard work are your solutions. The realistic plan of attack is to clean up your diet, hit the cardio for 30-45 minutes most days of the week and add these exercises to your strength training routine.

To complete our workout today, you will need a bench, tubing, and a swiss ball. I have “lovingly” named this exercise series the “double whammy” because the inner thigh muscles are attacked by the tubing and the Swiss ball at the same time.

Begin by threading the tubing under the bench, and having a seat at the edge of the bench. Attach the tubing to your feet by sliding the handles over your toes. Once the tubing has been attached, roll down through the spine and position yourself so that your head is supported by the bench. Draw the knees into the chest and then extend the legs straight up into the air.

Remember, it is important to maintain a neutral spine and pelvis throughout these exercises, so think about engaging the deep core muscles to stabilize the torso and pelvis in a neutral position while performing the exercises. Beginners may modify this series by eliminating the tubing.

Step 1. Catch — Holding the Swiss ball at chest level, open the legs out to the side in a controlled motion. Toss the ball upward with a chest press motion and catch the ball with the ankles. As you catch the ball with the ankles, be sure to squeeze the ball as tightly as you can. After squeezing the ball, open the legs and allow the ball to drop back into the hands. After completing 12 reps, move on to Step 2. Finish the last rep holding the ball between the ankles.

Step 2. “Thigh Master” — Bend the knees and move the legs into table top position. Maximally squeeze the ball with the ankles, as you squeeze the knees toward each other. Complete 12 repetitions and move on to Step 3.

Step 3. Leg Squeeze and Press — Keeping the pelvis in a neutral position, straighten the legs out at an angle as you squeeze the inner thighs tightly. (Keep in mind, if the back is arching, your legs are positioned too low to perform this exercise safely.) As you continue to contract the inner thighs, return the legs to the table top position. Complete 12 repetitions.

How long: Each exercise will be performed for 12 reps and you should flow from one exercise into the next. Complete 1-3 sets of this series.

Nutrition tip: The heat and humidity in the South often leave us yearning for light and refreshing treats. While homemade lemonade and ice cold watermelon may come to mind, try frozen grapes. Frozen grapes are light, refreshing and surprisingly sweet. Simply pluck the grapes from the vine, wash and pat them dry. Place the grapes in a Ziplock freezer bag and allow the grapes to sit in the freezer for a couple of hours. Voila! Bite-sized popsicle treats.

Khristine Clark Hammond, MS, CSCS*D, is a manager and exercise physiologist at FitnessOne at Memorial University Medical Center. She can be reached at Hammokh1@memorialhealth.com.